Health insurance company MotivHealth announced it is partnering with Utah-based telehealth company AZOVA to provide its members with Birth Doula Support Memberships. 

AZOVA is a digital health platform that offers services in primary care, pediatrics, behavioral health, women's health, dermatology, men's health, vaccinations and testing services. 

Regarding its women's health services, the company partners with various healthcare specialists and, through its partnership with MotivHealth, will connect the health insurer's patients with doulas as part of their membership. 

"We are thrilled to partner with MotivHealth in bringing this unique program to life. By leveraging technology to connect mothers with expert doulas, we aim to empower women throughout their birthing journey," Dr. Cheryl Lee Eberting, CEO and founder of AZOVA Health, said in a statement. 

THE LARGER TREND

In a study published in Cureus, doula guidance was shown to mitigate health disparities and was associated with positive delivery outcomes, such as reduced premature deliveries, cesarean sections, and short labor lengths. Doula support was also shown to improve breastfeeding success in low-income women. 

Other tech-enabled companies focused on maternal health include food delivery company FarmboxRx, which launched a Maternal Health Program to provide access to food and nutrition education to at-risk pregnant women during and after pregnancy, and Mae Health, a digital health platform that offers pregnancy and postpartum support for Black expectant mothers.